As a prelude to the New York International Auto Show, Rolls-Royce introduced Black Badge, a permanent bespoke series that is a dark, edgy lifestyle statement of the brand. While the expression made its North American debut, we at HOMBRE were first to get a preview of this latest addition to the Rolls-Royce Motor Car Family. At the exclusive event we spoke with Rolls-Royce NA president Pedro Mota, to get the inside story on the new addition, his plans for the brand, and Mota’s rise to the top of the ultimate luxury automobile company.

Portuguese born Pedro Mota joined Rolls-Royce NA from Porsche Cars NA where he served as Vice President, Area West. Mota holds an INSEAD MBA and a Master’s Degree in electrical engineering from Lisbon Technical University. Upon bringing Mota to the company, Rolls-Royce Sales and Marketing Director, Fintan Knight said, “Pedro is a highly experienced, international executive who has made the US his home. He has a strong understanding of the luxury car business and of the opportunities and challenges inherent in increasing shareholder value in North America.”

HOMBRE: Let’s begin with the vehicles being introduced tonight, what can you tell us about Rolls-Royce’s Black Badge Series?
Pedro Mota: Black Badge is a new model series, but it’s a permanent model series that’s here to stay. It’s not a limited edition. We launched the Ghost Black Badge, and the Wraith Black Badge at the same time. The Ghost has 60 more horse power, a lot more torque. The car is not only about more power, it has a different transmission, steering is more precise, the air suspension is re-engineered to give you a lot more feedback and to give you a more focused drive, the breaks. There’s a lot of technical enhancements, there’s a lot more than just beauty. You saw the darker chrome grill. It’s a whole new manufacturing process, the whole thing is actually darker chrome, the Spirit of Ecstasy is also darker chrome. The idea is when the car drives and sucks up air everything the car touches is blacked out. It still keeps the chrome on the side, it’s a little like jewelry on a black dress. We call it the alter ego of Rolls-Royce, the darker side of Rolls-Royce.

H: What role does the Black Badge play within the Rolls-Royce brand?
PM: The market has been crying for this product. Some dealers actually black out the car. We’ve done it in a lot more tasteful way, in a Rolls-Royce way. It’s coming from the market, but also internally we want to modernize the brand, attract younger customers. We’re trying to go to a cool modern luxury and models like the Wraith, and the Black Badge series go in that direction.

H: When will the models be available?
PM: The first models are coming in September. Production will be in small numbers this year, and next year we’ll have more.

H: What would you say are the factors that have maintained Rolls-Royce as the epitome of luxury and quality for so many years?
PM: We are not a volume company. We’re very careful with our supply. There are no cheap Rolls-Royce as you know. We are the pinnacle brand. We strive for perfection in everything we do. It’s a mixture of brand and supply, a mixture of these new products, and the position of these new cars will ensure that we remain at the top. There are some competitors that push more volume, we won’t do that. So every product that we develop is more unique, for a specific customer. You probably know about our bespoke line too. You will probably never find two Rolls-Royce vehicles that are the same.

H: What are some of the special features of the car?
PM: As I mentioned the driving experience will be different because it has more power, more torque. In terms of electronics, the software that runs the transmission has a completely different shift pattern. For example if you press the gas for more than 25%, the car will rev higher, shift higher so on average the car will rev 500 RPM’s higher than normal, which makes it more sporty. There are also carbon fiber wheels. We are the first manufacturer producing carbon fiber wheels on a series production car. They’re very cool.

Pedro Mota, Rolls-Royce NA president

H: How do you come into Rolls-Royce?,
PM: It was an opportunity that came up. We use to joke, I have the ‘Rolls-Royce of jobs.’ After this job, where do you go? The call came and how can you say no. I’m very excited, it’s a great opportunity. It’s a brand that has a brilliant future with great products coming up. It’s very exciting.

H: What innovations are you bringing to the brand?
PM: We want to make the brand cooler, more modern, and that’s something that we’re working on. I have a pretty strong background in sales also. I will make sure the brand is more in tune with buyers so we have to embrace the digital world too. We have a lot of Asian customers that are very digital savvy so we’ll be making a lot initiatives in that area. And then balance supply and demand, that’s something we have to do carefully. Our aim is to sell one car less than the market demands. We’re not a volume company, we’ll always strive to push the bespoke concept of cars, more unique. There’s more to do with representation, working with our dealers. There’s a lot to do. If I think I have a plan I’ll be busy for the next 2 or 3 years.

H: What have been the keys to your success, that allowed you to land the ‘Rolls-Royce of jobs’?
PM: Hard work. We love cars, we’re passionate about cars, we invest a lot of hours, a lot of thinking. I have experience in a lot of different areas. I’ve been an investment banker, a process optimizer, a consultant. I have a broad range of experiences, and you never know what you may need. Today I may need a little more of my number skills, tomorrow I may need my process optimization skills. In the end we love cars and we’re trying to do the right thing. And things have worked out well in the past, I had a lot of success. It’s always good when you make a plan, put a strategy in place, and things work out. It’s very rewarding.

H: What advice can you offer someone who is seeking such a high power position?
PM: I actually read once, the best advice I ever got in Fortune magazine. Mary Barra (CEO of GM) said it and when you think about it it’s true. Whatever job you have you have to do it very well. You can not be thinking about the next job. Right now your job is today and you have to do it very well and things will come together.

H: What can we expect in the future from Rolls-Royce?
PM: We have a lot of things coming. Are you familiar with the Dawn, our convertible? It’s a huge success, it’s sold out for the next year already. And now we have a lot of good stuff coming.
We can say right now that we have the Dawn, the Black Badge; these are the big challenges, to get these out perfectly. The next things you’ll see is the new architecture, the new aluminum brim rim architecture. That has nothing to do with our parent company, it’s developed just for Rolls-Royce. The Phantom you’ll see in 2018. We have more after that. A lot, a lot, a lot of good things coming!

Pedro Mota, president of Rolls-Royce NA with HOMBRE Magazine’s Francisco Romeo at the Black Badge Series launch event in New York City

For more information visit www.Rolls-RoyceMotorcars.com
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